Low-contrast viewing conditions may negatively impact, for example, through eyestrain and fatigue, the viewing experience of a user of an LCD device, for example, an LCD television, an LCD mobile device and other devices comprising an LCD display.
Low-contrast viewing conditions may arise when a device is used in an aggressive power-reduction mode, wherein the LCD backlight power level may be dramatically reduced making the image/video content appear dark and less visible to a viewer. The contrast of the image/video may be vastly reduced, or in some cases, pegged at black, and many image features that may convey important scene content may fall below the visible threshold.
Low-contrast viewing conditions may also arise when an LCD display is viewed under high ambient light, for example, direct sunlight. In these situations, the minimum display brightness that a viewer may perceive may be elevated due to the high ambient light in the surroundings. The image/video may appear “washed out” where it is intended to be bright, and the image/video may appear featureless in darker regions.
For both of the above-described low-contrast viewing scenarios, and other low-contrast viewing scenarios, the tonal dynamic range of the image/video may be compressed and the image contrast may be greatly reduced, thereby degrading the viewing experience of the user. Due to increasing consumer concern for reduced energy costs and demand for device mobility, it may be desirable to provide improved digital imagery and video quality to enhance the viewing experience under low-contrast viewing conditions.